A youngish couple pushed a stroller through the grass, gazing this way and that as they slowly moved along. A glance into the seat in front of them revealed to me a little girl, probably just shy of her first birthday. She thoroughly ignored the pandemonium of the county fair around her.
Instead, she focused her attention on the world inside her stroller. Her curly brown hair bobbled over her forehead as she sucked fiercely on a straw, taking in gulp after gulp of dark liquid. Her tan little legs were wrapped around the tall, 44-ounce clear plastic cup from which she drank. Her hands, so tiny with their minuscule fingernails, were dwarfed by the sheer size of the cup they attempted to hold.
Her brow furrowed as the liquid stopped flowing. She removed her lips from the straw and replaced them with her fingers. Her hand rose and fell, poking the ice. I marveled at her skill, knowing that if my own 15 month old daughter faced the same obstacle, poking ice with a straw would not be her first course of action.
The stroller came to a stop next to my 4 year old daughter and I as we waited, ever so patiently, for our turn on the merry-go-round. The little girl’s face lifted in acknowledgment of the stroller’s pause, and our eyes met. A smile revealed four little teeth.
She shifted the cup in her lap and returned to her task. At last, the straw reached through the ice to the bottom. The little girl happily sucked brown, bubbly liquid into her mouth once again.
As the stroller began to move, I spied the label on the side of the cup. It read: PEPSI.
Category: Parenting
When I found out via ultrasound that we were having a second girl, I actually cried. I envisioned the fights and the hatred and all the ways it would be difficult for me to show each of my daughters that they are special, and have them believe me.
I promised myself I wouldn’t play favorites. But then, as is often the case, it’s easier to do in theory than in practice. I don’t play favorites with my love – that is unconditional. But what I’ve come to realize is that each of them is going to go through phases of their lives where they are just more desirable to be around.
Right now, at 14 months, Blythe is in the most amazing stage where her personality is blossoming. Every day she emerges a little more, and I want to eat her up. Toward the end of each day I think Alison might backhand me if I say, “Look! Your sister is…” one more time. I can’t help it, because she’s just so stinkin’ cute, and most of the time there’s no one else around to elbow.
It’s not that Blythe is my favorite child, per se. It’s just that I’d rather watch her shake her booty or hear her say, “Tane-choo!” (thank you) than be bossed around by an eye-rolling four year old who has no patience.
Alison has many, many redeeming qualities. More than I could possibly count. But at this very moment in their lives, it’s Blythe’s turn. I’m sure as Blythe learns how to throw temper tantrums and refuse to nap, Alison will step right back into the limelight.
OK, so I admit, I have a favorite. Today. Tomorrow, it may change. All I can hope is that they each get their fare share of time to shine. And hey, Alison has a whole 3 1/2 years of being the constant favorite saved up. That should count for something, right?
If you are a parent, do you feel the same way, or are you Even-Steven with all your kids?
* Edited to add: Lest anyone think Alison is treated like the red-headed step child around here, let me just say there’s no way. She’s my partner in crime, and I spend more time playing with her than doing anything else. *
Categories
Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde
I woke up yesterday morning feeling like I’d been out partying hard all night. I don’t have to describe the symptoms to you, do I? You know what they are. But the thing is, I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol. Of course, I didn’t have a great night of sleep – but it wasn’t any worse than all the nights before it. I was crabby all day, and Alison was getting on my nerves. What the heck happened to the sunshine that normally radiates from every orifice of my body? Let’s review.
Wednesday was date night, and I decided I was going to cheat -just a little- on the no corn/egg diet. I figured I could pump and dump, now that my breast milk supply is going strong again. I really have no idea how long it takes food to metabolize and get into my supply, but I figured a 12 hour window would probably do it.
And anyway, like said. It was just a little cheat. I shared a few bites of warm chocolate cake with ice cream and chocolate drizzle with Jeremy. And it was so freaking good. It more than made up for the hour and a half we spent trying to watch Love Guru afterward. My critical review? Half a star. Don’t bother watching unless you toke up first, which I decided must be a requirement we didn’t know about.
But I’m pretty sure, after a careful replay of my attitude yesterday, that it was the dang CORN. Or corn syrup, to be exact. I didn’t realize until now, how much improved my attitude has been since I’ve been off the corn. I thought it was because I’d been following Love and Logic and its great results were the reason I wasn’t a big crab cake. But no, I have no patience for things like empathy and a smile when I’ve had corn syrup. And I felt like crap. Everything about my life seemed harder to handle yesterday, and I was having flashbacks to my Post Partum Depression.
So, moral of the story? I won’t be having High Fructose Corn Syrup, even after I’m done breast feeding. It turns me into a monster. I’m so glad I know that now, before I scarred my children for life! And before my husband left me for someone without a dark side.
Categories
A sleep over, of sorts
Yesterday, Alison invited her cousin to sleep over. I never know whether they are going to get along or fight like cats and dogs. Unfortunately, cats and dogs it was. The bickering and whining I can handle – time outs work great for that. But another child hitting my girl, repeatedly, even after punishments, is unacceptable. In fact, I think five years of age is a little old for random hitting. So I packed up the car and took Alison’s cousin home.
Alison was devastated, of course. Even if she’s getting beat up on, she still loves her cousin and wanted a sleep over. I explained to her that since her cousin hasn’t learned elsewhere that hitting isn’t OK, it was our job to teach her. My girl was heartbroken, so I made a compromise with her. We could have a sleep over, instead.
After Blythe went to bed we did all kinds of sleep over things. We watched a movie and ate cashews in our jammies. I said, “Hey, keep your feet out of Daddy’s nuts,” something I never thought I’d hear myself say. We made a bed on her bedroom floor and snuggled up together.
At 5 am, Alison woke and discovered I was breaking the cardinal sleep over rule – to sleep over. She climbed into bed with me, and peace was restored. She was still sleeping when I put Blythe down for her nap at 8:30, so I got back in bed with her.
I don’t think she missed her cousin one bit! And bonus? I never hit her, even once.
*Don’t forget! You can win some FREE CHOCOLATE by entering the contest -here- by tonight!*
Why am I itchy all the time? Why do I feel like I’m trying to poop a brick? Will my toes look like sausages forever? What’s this thing hanging out of my butt?
Maybe you’re pregnant. Maybe you’re not. Either way, I’m going to make Pregnancy Q&A a regular here on Sweet Life. A recent visit with my friend Jocelyn (hi Jos!), helped me to remember the reason I started this website to begin with. Leave your questions in the comment section.
Q: Why am I itchy all the time and what can I do about it?
A: Dry, itchy skin is very common during pregnancy. The increased estrogen slows oil production, and your skin is being stretched at a rapid rate, as well. The best remedies for dry skin are to stay hydrated, use a moisturizing body wash rather than soap, and apply lotion or oil to damp skin immediately after you shower. I used Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Apricot Oil and it left my skin feeling amazing. Don’t worry – you won’t go around leaving oil spots on the furniture. Your dry skin will soak the oil right up. It’s great for preventing stretch marks, too!
Now, if we’re talking feminine itch, you’ve probably got either a yeast or a fungal infection. Those dang hormones go changing everything, making your girly bits more susceptible to these types of problems. Check with your medical professional about the best course of action. Don’t ignore it and think it will go away on its own: it won’t.
Q: Why do I feel like I’m trying to poop a brick and please, God, make it stop.
A: Ahh, constipation. First of all, the increased progesterone in your system is probably the culprit. It signals the body to slow down the digestive process so that your body can squeeze every last nutrient out of your food. So yeah, you are trying to poop a brick.
Your best course of action any time you’re constipated, but especially during pregnancy, is to remember the two F’s: fluids and fiber. I know you’re tired of peeing every twenty minutes, but be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of fluids (especially water) every day. A moist brick is easier to pass than a dry one, no? And fiber is like adding water to the slip-n-slide that is your digestive system. Go ahead and try to slide down without fiber, but chances are you’re going to get stuck.
Q: Will my toes look like sausages forever?
A: Fortunately, no. However, many women have found that their feet go up a half size or so during pregnancy and never go back. To increase circulation to your feet, you can do little foot circles in 10 rep sets throughout the day. In addition, put your feet up (no higher than heart level) for 15 minutes through out the day, whenever you’re able. If you’re pregnant in the summer, putting your feet in cool water for any amount of time can help cool you and reduce swelling at the same time.
Q: What’s this thing hanging out of my butt?
A: That would be a hemorrhoid, which is a type of varicose vein. Another common ailment of pregnancy, they sometimes don’t show until you’re pushing your baby into the world. They can be fairly uncomfortable, so try to increase the circulation to the area by doing kegel exercises (you should be doing these anyway, for many reasons). Try not to push too hard while pooping that brick, and take care of constipation as quickly as possible to avoid getting hemorrhoids or making them worse. There are many over-the-counter items you can purchase to ease hemorrhoid pain. If you’re looking for a cheap, easy remedy, try freezing cotton balls soaked in witch hazel and putting them where it hurts.
Andrea Edwards is an ICEA certified Childbirth Educator. No advice given here should supersede that of your medical professional.